Botsoe is the first black president to be appointed to this position since the Association’s inception in 1916 as the Westchester County Realty Board, according to an announcement.

Prior to the merger with the former Rockland County Board of Realtors and Orange County Association of Realtors in 2012, RCBR elected its first black president, Bill Thorne, in 2011.

In addition, Renee Zurlo, an associate broker with BHG Rand Realty in Central Valley, was re-elected as the 2017 President of the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service. She served the HGMLS as president last year.

The installments took place at Abigail Kirsch at the Tappan Hill Mansion in Tarrytown Friday among 300 guests.

“This is a historic day for HGAR, as we welcome the first black president in the 101-year history of our organization,” said Richard Haggerty, HGAR CEO.

“I am proud to have both Dorothy and Renee at the helms of our organizations, and we’re looking forward to seeing great things from both of them this year.”

Botsoe has been in the real estate business for almost 30 years and has owned her own firm for the past 21 years.

She is a native of Ghana, West Africa. Family members from around the world attended the installation.

Her main goal for the year is to ensure that HGAR reflects its diverse geographic and demographic membership.

“The makeup and membership of HGAR is changing and I believe that we have to change with that too,” she said. “We have to include everyone in the process, making sure that the voices of our membership are heard.”

Botsoe has been active in the Association for many years, serving as a Director for HGAR and the New York State Association of Realtors.

She also served on various HGAR councils and committees including Education, Legislative, Fair Housing and Cultural Diversity, Faculty, Professional Standards, Broker/Owner and more.

Zurlo began her career 1994. She's worked as a manager and trainer for 20 years. Her roles include Orange County Regional Manager for Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty and as a New York State Certified Real Estate Instructor.

Before the HGAR merger, she held positions on the Orange County Association of Realtors MLS Board of Directors for many years.

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors is a non-profit trade association with 10,400 real estate professionals as members.